


Andante

by ruff_ethereal



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 23:31:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3268370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruff_ethereal/pseuds/ruff_ethereal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Star panics about getting older after she breaks her hand punching out a monster. Marco does his best to soothe her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Andante

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpruceMoose13](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=SpruceMoose13).
  * Inspired by [Vacation From Your Vacation](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/95609) by SpruceMoose13. 



“It’s just a very minor fracture,” The doctor explained, “But it still requires a cast. Whatever you did to cause this, I suggest you don’t do it again—or go back to it only _after_ your hand has completely healed, and even then, favour the other and be extremely careful.”

Star nodded, cradling her injured hand. Eventually she and Marco walked out of the hospital, a bill and a bag of painkillers between them.

Star sighed. “I can’t believe I broke my hand punching out a monster.”

“Hey, in fairness, that guy was armour plated.” Marco said as he walked over to the parking lot and his car.

“But it’s never happened before, with even way tougher monsters than that! Do you remember when I punched Robo-Me?”

Marco nodded and grinned. “Went right through her chest and into her heart! Good thing all she wanted was for someone to literally touch her there.”

“Yeah, but my hand was fine after that! I mean, she was made of Strengthium! It’s literally one of the toughest metals in any dimension!”

“Maybe you hit her in a weak spot.” Marco unlocked the doors with a press of a button. “I mean, it’s not like you hadn’t been blasting her before you punched her.”

Star sighed and looked at her hand again. “Or maybe I’m just getting old.” She threw the passenger side door open with her good hand.

Marco fell silent. He considered his next words carefully.

“Don’t even bother trying to tell me it isn’t true, Marco,” Star said as she climbed in, “We both know it’s true.”

Marco nodded and got into the driver’s seat. They spent the rest of the ride home to Marco’s apartment in silence. Marco whipped them up a batch of his Awesome Nachos, Star waited at the balcony table and watched the kids skateboarding on the street down below.

“Hey, you kids should at least wear your helmets!” Marco yelled at them after he laid the plate of nachos on the table.

Star smiled.

“You’re not my dad, old man!” One of the skaters shouted back up.

The smile disappeared.

Marco shook his head and slipped into his seat. “Ah, kids, think they’re all invincible and don’t need helmets, then someone ends up in the ER…” He reached over for some nachos and stopped. “Something wrong, Star?”

Star sighed. “We’re getting old, Marco.”

Marco nodded slowly, and picked a nacho from the pile. “Uh, duh? I think we established that pretty well earlier.”

Star shook her head. “No, I mean, we’re getting _old!_ Like, old people who spend their days hanging out on their balconies with their old people friends, eating old people food, and yelling at the neighbours’ kids!”

Marco laughed. “Nachos are old people food?” He took a bite from the chip in his hand.

Star glared at him. “No, but the way you’re eating them certainly is old! How long has it been since we ate these things by the handful, just stuffing our faces with them?” She gestured to the pile of nachos with her good hand; the bad hand rested on her lap.

Marco slowed down his chewing. He shrugged, and ate the rest of the chip.

“You see?! You can’t even remember!” Star paused, her eyes widening in horror. “Oh no, what other things will I start forgetting?! What if I suddenly forget how to fight, or use my magic? What if I forget all the adventures we’ve had? What if I forget I’m best friends with you?!”

Marco reached over and patted her on the shoulder. “Star, relax. Seriously, you’re overreacting.” He took his hand back and went to work on another chip.

“Overreacting?!” Star shrieked, “I’m not the one downplaying a serious problem!”

“Okay, look, why don’t we call your parents and ask them if you’re really getting old?”

Star blinked. “Are you serious?! Calling my parents for advice? My _parents_ for _advice._ If that’s not a sign I’m an old woman, I don’t know what is!” She threw her arms in the air. She winced and gently put the casted hand back down to her lap.

Marco smiled. “Then how about we call them, and ask them how Mewnians deal with getting older? I mean, they’re practically experts on the subject.”

Star sighed. “True.” Her wand materialized in her hand, and she summoned a transdimensional communication portal above the plate of nachos. She finally grabbed a chip and ate it while they waited for her parents to answer.

“Star, darling, what a pleasant surprise!” Queen Butterfly cried, a smile on her face.

Star gave a half-hearted wave. Marco gave a small bow.

“Hi mom. I kind of need advice about, you know, me being old now.”

Queen Butterfly nodded in understanding. “But of course, dear. You’ll find that we Mewnians have the perfect solution to the ravages of time!”

Star brightened up considerably. “Water from the Fountain of Youth dimension?!”

Queen Butterfly laughed, long and hard. “No. We have something _so_ much better.”

The portal shifted and shook. Moments later, a royal Mewnian tea pot materialized, along with two full cups and saucers for Marco and Star; teaspoons, a sugar cube jar, a cup of cream, and a plate of lemon wedges followed soon after.

Star hesitantly picked her cup up. “Tea…?”

Marco sniffed his, and took a sip. “It’s kind of… bland.” He put down his cup and went back to his nachos, drinking his tea from time to time.

Queen Butterfly huffed. “It is not _bland,_ Marco of Earth, the Mewnian Tea of Ages simply has an incredibly subtle flavour, one that is gradually and carefully brought out over time.”

“So kind of like beer except without the awesomeness of alcohol.” Star deadpanned.

Queen Butterfly rolled her eyes. “Yes, it is an acquired taste, but certainly not as uncouth as, ugh, _lager._ It’s also quite beneficial! Simply drink this wonderful tea every day for the rest of your life, and you shall see your ills and aches melt away, a day that would be beset upon by stiff joints and old bones avoided all at the cost of sitting down and enjoying a cup! Quite the deal, darling.”

“So this isn’t even a kinda Fountain of Youth water?” Star asked, a disappointed frown on her lips.

Queen Butterfly laughed again. “Oh, heavens no, my dear! No one is safe from the ravages of time, but we can, however, soften the blow. Is there anything more you require my help with?”

Star sighed, and slowly let her forehead meet the table with a quiet, gentle thump. “No, mom. Bye mom, I love you.”

Queen Butterfly smiled. “I love you too, darling. Farewell, Star, Marco of Earth.”

“Bye your highness!” Marco said before the portal closed all on its own.

“I even headdesk like an old woman.” Star groused, face still on the table. “Is this what we’re turning into? Two oldies sitting around on their balcony drinking tea, eating awesome nachos the boring way, calling their parents for advice?”

“You really should try the tea;” Marco said, “I can already see what your mom said about the flavour. It’s pretty elegant and earthy.”

Star raised her head, giving Marco a subdued look of horror. “You sounded so _old_ just now!” Still, she put down her wand and gave her tea an experimental sip. She stirred in a spoonful of sugar, and tried it again. She repeated the process several more times, added in squeeze of lemon, then a dash of cream, before she just downed the whole thing in one go.

“Ugh…” Star said as she put the drained cup back on her saucer, “Never would I have thought I would see the day I’d be drinking tea...” She reached over for a nacho.

Marco shrugged. “Well, we already saw the day where you broke your fist punching out a monster.”

Star glared at him. “Don’t remind me.” Her anger melted away into resignation. “What if one of these days I break my fist again? What if the doctor says, ‘Nope, no more fighting monsters for you, if you don’t want to end up with robo-hands.’? What do I do then, Marco?”

“You use your wand more?” Marco offered, “You’ve gotten pretty good at magic.”

“But then I’d turn into a princess that just blasts monsters with her magic! How boring is that?!”

“Hey, you’ve already punched a lot of monsters over the years, I think you’re going to be punching them for a long time yet.”

Star chuckled, a smile on her lips. “Heh, yeah… and you’ve been kicking a lot of butt, too.” She frowned again.

Marco sighed. “What is it now, Star?”

“You don’t have magic. When you break your fists fighting monsters, that’d be the end of it for you. No more butt-kicking. No more adventures with me.” Star stared into her empty cup.

Marco reached over and touched her shoulder. “I’m not that old yet, Star.”

Star whined and looked up at him. “Yeah, but you’re going to be one of these days!”

Marco smiled. “But not today.”

“How can you be so calm about this?!” Star cried.

“Because, Star, I’ve accepted that it’s going to happen, whereas you haven’t. We’re gonna get old. It’s gonna happen.”

Star’s features softened. She fell silent.

“So we’ve got to be more careful, rely on your magic more. So we’re not going to be as wild and crazy as we used to be, kicking and punching and diving into battle without a plan, just hopping from dimension from dimension without a break. So we’re drinking Old People tea now, eating Awesome Nachos the boring way, and calling your parents for advice.”

Marco reached over and touched Star on the shoulder, and smiled at her.

“That doesn’t mean that we’re suddenly going to stop having fun and going on adventures. We’re just… slowing down. Not stopping—not for a long, long time.”

Star didn’t speak. She leaned over to give him an awkward one armed hug with her good hand. She smiled. “Thanks, Marco.”

“You’re welcome, Star.” Marco pulled back into his seat. “You want to hang out at the Bass Lounge later?”

“Sure!” Star paused. “I think I might be in the mood for hanging out on the sides and just listening to the music, though.”

“You read my mind.”


End file.
